Apparatus for treatment of liquids in containers



19, 1952 J. o. FOWLER 2,607,284

APPARATUS FOR TREATMENT OF LIQUIDS 1N CONTAINERS Filed April 10, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 1952 J. o. FOWLER 2,607,284

APPARATUS FOR TREATMENT OF LIQUIDS IN CONTAINERS Filed April 10, 194K 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 1952 J. o. FOWLER 2,607,284

APPARATUS FOR TREATMENT OF LIQUIDS IN CONTAINERS Filed April 10, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG 4 FIG 5 |2b l2d l2c 12b I20 I20 I b l2c Aug. 19, 1952 J. o. FOWLER 2,607,284

APPARATUS FOR TREATMENT OF LIQUIDS IN CONTAINERS Filed April 10, l948 5 Sheet-Sheet 4 Filed April 10, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 A g- 1952 J. o. FOWLER 2,607,284

APPARATUS FOR TREATMENT OF LIQUIDS IN CONTAINERS Patented Aug. 19, 1952 srransmsrroakram'rlvmnr or L1. UIDS; ---IN-CNT NER S James Owen ,Fowler, Sparkhill, Birmingham,

lilngpland-,; ass'ignor to Fowlers- Dairy*Developmen-ts 'Limi'ted-,-* Sparkhill, Birmingham, England Application-April .10, 1948, Serial No. 20,284

In ,G'iieatjBri-tain January 17., 19518 1947, now Patent No. 2,493,664 issued on Zfanuary order to faeilitate-a properappreci'ation or the invention it is remarked firstlyfthat when capped bottles of liquid which are not sealed hermetically are subjected to cooling by-immersion after heating it isiound that there-is atendency, for the coolant to lie-sucked into the bot-- .tles ashcooling takes-place-and that with -a-friew' to overcoming this objection it has been proposed to surround the mouth of a bottle with a bellsoasto provide-an air lock around themout-h of..-a bottle when it is..=i-mmersed-, and secondly that in the process described in myprior U-n-ited- States application Serial- Number' 637,061 -filed December '22, 1945, now Patent No. 2,493;'663 issued .on January 3, 1950, andin "the process described in my prior United statesepplication Serial Number 737,260 filed March 26-,--;1=94-7, now Patent No'. 2A93,6'614@issued on January *3, 1950, the :bottles for treatment are-packed in standard twenty-four bottle sheet metal cratesw hich are assembled-in tiers in a cradleso as toconstitute a batch for treatment and that in theprocess of loading, stacking and-unloading the cra tes are subjected to considerable ill usage-.--

The .present invention-has for its object the provision of an improvedmeans forproviding anrairxlock around the mouths of hottles'which arerequired to be immersed in liquid during the treatment of the contents of the bottles which is simple in construction, which facilitates the packing. of crates in tiers, which is readilystacked for economy of storage spacewhennot-in use,

which is capable of withstanding .considerable ill usage and which furthermore can be produced at a relatively low cost.

According to .the invention the improved means for providing an air lock around-the mouths of bottles which arerequired-to be'immersedinliquid during the treatment of the contents of the bottles comprises an invertedtray having a flat uninterrupted inside surf-ace adapted to rest on top of the mouthsof thebottles-in facial contact therewith, said tray being common to and being adapted to envelopthe mouthsof, the whole-tierof bottles packed "into a crate, and

having around the perimeter thereof a flange adapted to depend below the mouths of the bottles whilst on the upper side of the tray there are disposed a plurality of elongated upwardly projecting supports of a height less than the depth of the flange and which afiord a substantially linecontact when a superposed crate is placed thereon.

The invention also resides in a tray for use with bottles which are required to be immersed during treatment of the contents of the bottles constructed, arranged and adapted for use sub stantially as will be described hereinafter.

The invention will now be described :with particular reference to the accompanying sheets of drawing wherein: I

Figure 1 is a perspective view :of a tray seen from above.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a tray-seen from below.

Figure 3 is a sectional View .of a stacked set of the trays illustrated in Figuresil and 2.

Figs. 1A, 2A and 3A are corresponding views showing a tray of somewhat modified construction.

Figure 4 is a side View partly brokenaway showing a tray positioned on bottles packed in a milk bottle crate preparatory to treatment in accordance with the processes :described in either of my United States Patents 2,493,663 and 2,493,664, dated January 3, 1950.

Figure 5 is an end view also partly broken a. of the assembl illustrated .in Figure 4.

' Figure 6 is aplan ofjthea-ssembly illustrated in Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary view-showing the manner in which an air lock is provided-when the assembly illustrated in Figures 4-6 isiin mersed in liquid.

Figure 8 is a fragmentaryidow illustrating diagrammatically the method of utilising. the trays in the processes of heat treating milk and cream in the bottle described in my pending United Statespatent applications aforesaid. V

Figure-"9 is p ayiew of Figure 8 lookin in'the direction of the arrow in the said Figure 8. I [Figure jlllis a fragmentary view illustrating "diagrammatically the use of thetrays for protecting bottles which are required to be subj'ected to spraying, and a Figure 11 is a plan of Figure 10..

In the drawings like numerals of, reference in- .dicatesimilar parts in the severa lviews.

illustrated in the drawings an inverted tray designated generally by the reference numeral I I 2 is'constrwcted of sheet steel of a frusto-pyramida'l shape. and of asize such that when placed on top of the mouths of standard. one pint size milk bottles I3 assembled in-a standard strip metal twenty-four bottle milk bottlecrate M the de- Mounted on top of the tray IZ preferably adjacent to each corner is a-support IZb in the form of a length of angle iron which is bronze F welded to the upwardly presented base I2 of the tray so that the said supports IZbare of an inverted V formation. The supports I2b are preferably not less than 2" in length when used in conjunction with the standard twenty-four bot-. tle milk bottle crate I4 aforesaid.

Also secured to the upper surface of the base 120 and at the centre thereof is a sheet metal handle I2d which is spaced from the base I2c at a distance slightly less than the depth of the inverted V supports.

In a convenient construction the tray I2 is fabricated from sheet steel of not less than 22 gauge metal with top dimensions of 16%" in length and 10 /2 in width and bottom dimene sions of 17 in length and 11" in width with a flange depth of 3". The rim of the flange I2a is rolled outwardly to (provide for a reinforcement of the rim and at each corner there is provided on the outside and adjacent to the rim a strap I2e of sheet metal of the same gauge 'as the body of the tray, said straps being spot welded to the tray and serving to prevent openin out or splitting of the tray along the corner lines.

The supports are made of angle iron of thickness and are of a length of 2" and a depth of approximately The taper of the flang I 2a should be such that the distance between the rim of a side and a vertical line dropped from the upper edge of the said side should not be less than 4 for a flange depth of 3".

' The supports I21) and handle I 2d and reinforcing straps I2e are first welded to the tray after I which the Whole assembly is galvanised.

When used in connection with the processes for heat treating milk and. cream in the bottle as described in my United States patent applications aforesaid the trays I2 are placed on top of the I mouths of the bottles I3 contained within the crates I4 with the under-sides of the base I20 seated on the capped mouths In of the bottles I3 and with the depending flange I2a surrounding the necks of th whole of the bottles I3 con-v tained within a crate I4. The crates I4 are packed in tiers in a cradle I5 with the bottoms of the succeeding crates I4 resting on the supports I2b of the trays I2 coverin the mouths of the bottles I3 in the preceding tier of crates,

see particularly Figures 8-10.

7 Thus when the cradle I5 is immersed in liquid in a tank I6 as shown in Figures 7-9 air is trapped on the underside of the bases I20 and provides the required air look around the mouths of the bottles I3 which when conditionsare suitable prevents air being sucked into the bottles I3 .whilst at the same time permittin of the expulsion of air from the bottlesduring heating, see Figure 7. Y

If desired the supports I217 may be made of a semi-cylindrical formation. Although the trays are particularly of use in the case where the crates of bottles ar required to be immersed the trays are also useful when the bottles are required to be cooled by spraying jets of water on to the trays covering the top most tier of crates and allowing the water to drip from the edges of the crates as is illustrated in Figures 10 and 11.

It will be appreciated that the elongated formation of the supports ensures that the bottoms of the crates of a succeedin tier shall be seated on the supports and that the shape of the supports permits the crates to be slid over the trays of a preceding tier during loading and unloading without danger of catching.

Itwill be appreciated also that as there are :no projections on the inside of the tray there is no danger of the caps being'perforated or pulled off the bottles during the positioning and removal-of a tray. 7

Further it will be appreciated that the dimensions of the supports prevent wedging of the trays When stacked without at the same time materially increasing the storage space required for any given number of trays when stacked.

In addition it will be appreciated that the construction is such that the trays are capable of withstanding considerable ill usage and of being produced at a relatively low cost.

In conclusion it should be stated that the invention is not limited touse with my processes for the heat treatmentof liquids in the bottle but may be employed for providing air looks around the mouths of bottles when immersed wherethe same problem arises as in the case of my aforesaid processes.

I claim: y Y

1. Apparatus for liquid treatment of liquid housed in a plurality of containers comprising a support adapted to be placed in the treating liquid, a plurality of crates superimposed on 'each other in said support, a plurality of similar containers vertically arranged in each crate,

' each container having a mouth at its top, the

mouths of the containers in one crate lying in substantially the same horizontal plane, and means for providing an air look around the W mouths of the containers in one crate comprising an inverted tray having a flat uninterrupted inside surface resting on top of the mouths of the containers in a first crate in facial contact therewith, said tray being common to and enveloping the mouths of the Whole tier of containers packed into the crate and having around the perimeter thereof a flange depending below the mouths ofthe bottles, said tray havingla plurality of" elongated upwardly extending support projections, a second crate positioned above said first crate and on said support projections, said support projections affording a substantially line contact with the second superposed crate thereon. 2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further characterized in that said support projections have a height less than said depending flange.

I JAMES OWEN FOWLER.

REFERENCES orrnn The following references are of; record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

